


Vigilante

by UnicornAffair



Category: Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Western, F/F, M/M, Rating May Change, Single Dad!Zack, warning probably some racism. and homophobia because America mm not so great in the past
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-06
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-06-06 01:25:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15183677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnicornAffair/pseuds/UnicornAffair
Summary: Anything goes in the Wild West. All a man needs in order to get ahead is a quick wit and an even quicker shot. Four unlikely people from different walks of life come together and protect the innocent from bandits, ruffians and no good scum that want to take advantage of someone weak to get ahead. Jason Scott and his vigilante gang take rest in a little town called Angel Grove, where all seems nice and quaint on the surface. It's there Trini's attention catches on the general store owner, a beautiful, smart, confident woman who's more than meets the eye.





	1. Welcome to Angel Grove

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! A new project, kind of. I was inspired by Day 5 of Trimberly Week to do a different time period and, oh, I've wanted to do a Western story for so long. As of right now it's only one chapter but let me know if this is something you'd like to see more of! Thank you so much

The year was 1870 and America had been starting to make it’s expansion out west. The transcontinental railroad had _just_ completed. People who were down and out wanted to make a new lives for themselves, that or the business type saw new opportunity out in a land that needed claiming. The government was practically selling land cheap just so new towns could start popping up. A great time for the country. A man could start fresh, build his woman a house and settle down to make a family for himself. The American Dream.

Cept in the west, only the strongest survived in a dog eat dog world. Sure, there were sheriffs in these small towns but these were the days that the _cowboys_ and _outlaws_ called the shots and ruled the world. What was _one_ lawman and a couple of deputies going to do against a _team_ of bandits to ransack and destroy a town? They had the horses, they had the fire power and they didn’t give a damn about anyone other than themselves. Train cars were likely to get robbed. Pretty jewelry sold for a high price at the right market. Towns could go up in smoke any day of the week if they weren’t strong enough to defend their own. _Anything_ could happen out west.

Now Jason Scott didn’t like the idea of these men going after innocent women and children. He wasn’t a lawman, no sir, but he liked to take vigilante justice into his own hands with the help of his small little gang. They kept the local towns safe even _before_ the possibility of being raided. They kept to themselves, not wanting the notirity, they stole from the theifs to make a living. A bunch of misfits, sticking together because they were they only family they got.

The leader of the group Jason Scott grew up in the deep south of Savannah, Georgia. Lived on a big ol’plantation where his father, unfortunately, owned Africans as slave labor. Jason befriended a young slave boy by the name of William, Billy for short. He didn’t understand why Billy couldn’t play with him or why Samuel Scott was so mean to him and the other workers in the field. Jason was naive and didn’t even know the _half_ of what was going on. His own father beat the hell out of his _son_ when he learned that Jason had been trying to teach Billy how to read. He received an even _worse_ beating when Jason agreed with the Union during the time of the civil war.

Jason had been pushed into being a confederate soldier by his father, but he couldn’t fight a war or a cause he didn’t believe in and went AWOL. Only to return home to take his best friend away from the Scott plantation, they would go West and _never_ look back on their former life. A few years later Abraham Lincoln signed the emancipation proclamation that lawfully freed the slaves...that didn’t mean the racism was over. People didn’t give Billy much of a chance, only saw the color of his skin. He only faced _new_ challenges in a _new_ world. Most of the time he’d try to keep low key, let Jason do all the talking, he never _truly_ felt safe in a group setting. Now, he didn’t _like_ guns or hurting nobody, but if push came to shove he had the best damn shot this side of the Mississippi.  

For a long while it was Jason Scott and Billy against the world. Eventually Billy picked a last name for himself Cranston. It was the name of one of the streets back in Georgia, one of the first words he had ever read outside of the plantation. It stuck with him. Jason had stolen enough money from his father to buy himself and Billy two horses...it didn’t leave for much else so the two men had to rough it. Hunting their own food, cooking their own meals, camping out in the woods and take work as migrant farm hands just to earn a little extra before moving on until they were further and further west. One day, Jason promised, they would build an actual house to settle down; maybe start a ranch like real cowboys. One day.

Then there was the curious case of Trini Gomez. She grew up in Mexico, her ancestors had started a vineyard that grew, and grew, and grew. Wine was what kept the Gomez family afloat. Their _legacy._ As the only daughter in a family, she needed to be married off to start having babies and continuing on the bloodline. Her grandfather had picked out a suitor for her, a nice young man-Mexican of course, someone that could trace back his _own_ lineage. It wasn’t something Trini ever _wanted_ for herself. She was never _attracted_ to any of the men that were brought over, no, she was a freak of nature who fancied the company of a woman. It wouldn’t do. She felt like a caged rabbit, or a horse whose only purpose was to breed...so in order to escape an engagement she did the _one_ thing she thought she could do to protect herself.  
  
Trini set part of the vineyard on fire to cause a big enough distraction so she could safely run away from her home, travel up north to America where she couldn’t be found by her family. The fire wasn’t _big_ thankfully. The Gomez family’s collective efforts had been able to douse it down, they would be just _fine_ without her. Her two younger brothers could carry on the Gomez name.

The runaway made it all the way to Colorado when she was attacked by a ruffian, someone who wanted more from her than just whatever money she had on her. Jason and Billy were at the right place at the right time, they shot the man for attempting to lay a hand on this young woman. A white southerner and a black man traveling together as friends was unheard of to Trini...she felt indebted to them for saving her life so she started to travel with the two men. Helping them with food preparation so the two men wouldn’t have to rely on beans _so_ much. It was nice to have a lady around.

Jason and Billy gave Trini two things to defend herself, a gun and a knife. Now the knife was pretty self explanatory...the gun took a bit more practice. Trini took a liking to fighting, and her blade, especially when she was used as bait to lure out bandits from their camps. She felt _no_ qualms stabbing scum of the Earth and stealing their belongings. The trio made a good team.

The three of them spent _years_ with one another. Trini taught the boys Spanish while Jason and Billy worked with Trini on her English. They benefited from learning from one another. Spanish became a bit of a code for them when they didn’t want someone to understand what they were talking about. Sometimes when they had a bit more money, Jason would splurge and the three would stay at an inn for a night and have a proper bed to sleep on. It was in fact at one of these inns where they met the fourth and final member of their newfound gang. Zack Taylor.

Zack Taylor was born over in China and migrated with his family to the land of California. His father didn’t make the journey and his mother was deathly ill. Still, she worked and worked as best as she could as a tailor with Zack’s help. It helped them decided on their ‘American’ name. _Taylor._ Zack grew up on the streets, he learned how to steal very quickly and would do so in order to get himself food and to try and steal his mother any sort of medicine he could find. Even medicines that weren’t even _for_ her illness. She succumbed to the sickness just as he turned sixteen. With nowhere to go he took a job to work on the transcontinental railroad, it didn’t pay _great_ but it was honest work and he had a pension for the dynamite to blast through the mountains. Nothing excited him more than the letters T.N.T. Well, that was until he met the likes of an Amanda Clark the daughter of a Innkeeper in Utah.

A white woman falling in love with a Chinaman wasn’t well received by the likes of the Clarks. They’d rather her marry someone...of her own kind, even if a different man was considerably older. He had the money to take care of her. Still, the heart wanted what the heart wanted. He proposed to her with the promise of always taking care of her, and whatever family they’d have. Zack couldn’t offer much, but when she said _yes_ to the proposal he was darn near the happiest man alive. After his mother had died he felt so lost, so lonely in this world, she filled that void and gave him a reason to keep on living.

Zachary and Amanda Taylor moved themselves to Colorado. He bought land with the money he had earned on the railroad and the two muscled up and built themselves a cabin out in the woods. It was there that their love conceived a child...only...his wife, the love of his life, didn’t make it through the childbirth. He had to hold her hand and watch as the life faded from her eyes, the midwife could _only_ save the child...Amanda had lost too much blood. It should have been the happiest day of their lives. It was agonizing for Zack to lose yet _another_ person he loved so deeply. He named their daughter Victoria, and he was going to be _everything_ for this baby.

She was all he had left in the world.

Victoria wasn’t an _easy_ child to raise on his own, he had to play both a mother _and_ a father. The midwife helped him through the babys early stages of life, he had to heavily rely on a wet nurse for sometime. With the women there helping with his child, it gave him the opportunity to bury his wife and start the process of grief. This was something they were supposed to do together and now his other half was _gone._ He didn’t know what to do.

Their daughter started to grow quickly. Zack’s physical traits dominated over Amanda’s, brown almond shaped eyes, her hair a light brown, she would grow up to be beautiful like her mother Zack knew it. Though, looks could fool. Victoria was a rambunctious toddler, she was a daredevil just like her father always getting into trouble. The kid loved water, Zack had to constantly pull her away from splashing around the horses troughs. When she was about five she had a _bad_ habit of grabbing shiney pocket watches from esteemed members of the community. Amanda would get kick out of learning that her daughter was a literal pickpocket, something her father didn’t even need to teach her. 

It was at a Colorado inn when Victoria tried to pick the pocket out of a loan shark at a high stakes poker game. It got ugly quick. As _soon_ as the criminal pulled a _gun_ on a _child,_ one of the other poker players shot him in the back. Jason Scott here to save the day. A relieved father held his daughter close to him, wishing to pay for Jason’s next drink as a thank you for saving his daughter’s life. The two got to talking. Zack and his daughter were just as lost as Jason and his crew...though Zack, and Victoria had a very specific skill set, one that could help them going down the road. Besides, he surely couldn’t stay in _this_ town anymore.

With the _four_ of them working as a team, that was when they could really do their vigilante justice. Taking the law into their _own_ hands and warding off those sons of bitches that use fear to get whatever they wanted out of the little guy who just wanted to live. Now that there was a _kid_ involved, the jobs had to be bigger so Jason could justify spending a bit of that extra piece on a couple of rooms at whatever local inn. This week they’d be traveling somewhere small, somewhere just starting up, a place he was sure the fare would be cheap. A little town called Angel Grove. There Jason was sure he and his own could rest, and recuperate, they deserved it after their last run in with  man named Zedd. The cockroach escaped their guns, but not before losing most of his own men...he’d be back with a vengeance, but for now, he had to run away with his tail between his legs.

First things first. Whenever their little vigilante gang found themselves in a new town they always made sure they knew the layout of the main street. If by chance there’d be a shootout, which proved to be highly likely, it was best to scope out places to take cover. Billy would take the horses to a stable, Jason would find the nearest saloon to unwind and ask about the locals; see if there were any problems. Zack’s job depended on Victoria, oftentimes he would find the doctor just to keep tabs on her health. In the back of his mind he worried, all of the women in his life that he loved perished over a sickness or a medical mishap. Trini would be the one in charge of going to the general store and ordering new supplies, food, whatever they needed for when they would _leave_ the town.

Zack couldn’t _find_ the local doctor so he joined Trini to go to the general store. He could treat his daughter to some candies, something sweet after camping for so long. Trini walked into the store with a list, how Jason and Billy survived on their own without a woman still was a mystery to her. These men weren’t practical so she would have to pick up their slack. The three entered the store, like any other place Zack and Trini were on high alert. No, not everyone was about to pull a gun but without _Jason_ with them...there could be a scene. America, even in the wild west, wasn’t the _most_ fond of different races. Trini and Zack didn’t run into too many issues, not as many as Billy; most people out here were pretty tolerant but Trini and Zack knew better...there’d always be that _outspoken_ man or a passive aggressive woman attached to an outspoken bigot.

Inside the general store was two men, one at the register and the other browsing shelves. Trini and Zack exchanged a glance, so he felt a drop in his stomach as well. There wasn’t a _man_ at the register, it wasn’t _too_ out of the ordinary for a woman out west to take more responsibilities. As far as Zack and Trini could tell she was the only one working. The man at the register had his hand on his sidearm, he could pull it on the woman at the desk at _any_ time and take all the money with ease. The man ‘browsing’ would provide back up if the woman at the counter tried speaking out. They were going to rob the store.

Trini nodded in Zack’s direction, slowly approaching the counter with her grocery list. Zack crouched down to speak with his daughter, keeping his voice at a whisper when he said, “Okay, we’re going to play a game. You cover your ears” He covered his own ears to show her what he wanted her to do. “And if you win, I’ll buy you some extra candy” She covered her ears, a dopey smile plastered on her face, “Yeah just like that, that’s my girl”

The man ‘browsing’ noticed Trini’s slow approach to the register, he was on high alert. He had to protect his partner in crime. The woman at the register turned away to get a box of cigars for her customer...a perfect opportunity for someone to pull a gun on her.

_Bam!_

Zack saw that the ‘browsing’ man had pulled his gun on Trini. In a quick reaction, Trini pulled her own gun and pointed it at the mans crotch. His back was to the rest of the store, he didn’t even _know_ to make the pull...and now his partner was out for the count. Victoria started to cry, despite her hands covering her ears it wasn’t enough to protect them from the loud sound of her father's gun. He owed her a _lot_ of candy for this.

“This can go down one of two ways” Trini may’ve been short but when push came to shove she could intimidate to make up for it, “I shoot you, you’ll _probably_ live...you’ll sure as hell never _feel_ the touch of a woman again.” His literal manhood was at stake here. “Or. You get outta here and leave the pretty lady alone” Trini’s attention shifted to the woman at the register. _God_ what a sight to see. The general store worker was _stunningly beautiful._ Out here in the west...there were far and few women. “Your choice”

A five year old was being cradled by her father in the corner, his partner was lying in a pool of blood and a tiny Mexican lady held his most _prized_ appendage at gunpoint. This wasn’t worth it. If he could escape now he’d be able to evade the possibility of being arrested. “Alright”

He wasn’t so lucky. A young man, with _long_ dark hair, a clean cut wearing a vest, long coat, white wide-brimmed hat and a notable deputies badge on his chest. “What happened here!? We heard a gunshot” His eyes widened upon seeing the woman at the register, he had to breathe a sigh of relief. “Are you alright Mrs. Oliver?”

“It appears I’m being robbed.” For a _woman_ in this situation she was very calm and collected about it. Even rested her hands against the wood of the counter. “If it weren’t for _these_ two…I don’t want to think of the possibility.” She wanted to clear Trini and Zack’s name, notably Zack’s as he was the one to pull the trigger. “I believe an arrest is in order”

“Ah yes ma’am” The deputy stepped into action, coming up and grabbing the bandit by his arms, “I can take it from here, sir” Trini frowned, sure she _dressed_ like a man but she didn’t _look_ like one.

A second man bumbled into the general store, he also wore a badge but didn’t _seem_ like any lawman Trini had ever seen before. “Ai yi yi! There’s been a murder!” He put his hands on his head, “Oh dear, oh dear!” He looked over to see that the other deputy was taking care of it. Where was the actual _sheriff?_ “What would you like me to do Deputy Oliver?”  

The deputy had just finished off clinking handcuffs on the criminal, “Clean this mess up for the lady. Don’t just stand there like a damn idiot” He tipped his hat off to the woman at the counter, “I’ll be back to check in. You stay safe Kimberly” The man stopped at Zack and his daughter, “Thank you for your bravery.”

“Of course” Zack nodded his head, holding his daughter close...Victoria had finally calmed down.

When the deputy had left, Jason and Billy were quick to enter the store to see if everything was okay. In the case of trouble coming to town, or the sound of gunshots, more likely than not it was because of their team. “I leave you for fifteen minutes” Jason commented, chuckling as he rubbed the stubble on his chin. “And someone's dead”

“Was he a bad guy?” Billy asked, to which Zack tilted his head, _really?_ The only people they shot were the bad guys. “Stupid question, sorry. Are you guys okay?”

Trini let the three boys to their antics, she was more curious about the calm woman behind the desk, Mrs. Kimberly Oliver, by the pieces she had come up with. “What about you? Are you alright lil’lady?”

“You’re shorter than me” The woman behind the counter had taken one of the cigars, and in unladylike fashion lit one up and pressed it in her lips. After a high stress situation like a small shootout in her store, she needed a chance to unwind. Trini blinked, _oh,_ she could feel her palms start to sweat...suddenly it felt hot in this general store. “I’ll be alright. I owe you and your husband a thank you”

Trini laughed at the _idea_ of being married to Zachary Taylor, “Oh he’s _not_ my husband” And Victoria was _not_ her child. “His wife is no longer with us, I’m just a friend”

“Mm” Kimberly nodded her head, offering Trini the box of cigars. It was the _least_ she could do after the rescue short of actually _paying_ them. “Sorry for his loss. Take these” She puffed out a mouthful of smoke, “I lost my husband a couple of weeks ago to poison, helluva snakebite” Her eyes averted down, “I couldn’t save him”

Shit. “Oh, I’m sure no one would expect _you_ to…”

Kimberly chuckled, “I’m a licensed doctor from Boston” This _woman_ practiced _medicine?_ “This was my husband's store, I run a practice upstairs” A lot for _one_ woman to handle by herself…

“I’m sorry” Trini looked to Zack, there was a reason he couldn’t _find_ a doctor… “You practice medicine?”

“Shocked? Because I’m a woman? That’s rich talk coming from someone who dresses like a twelve year old boy” Kimberly had taken stock of Trini’s apparel, she dressed for the wilds not for beauty. No, hell no, Trini refused to wear a dress ever again.

“Ah” Trini hung her head low, “I deserve that”

“I couldn’t help but overhear that you’re a doctor” Zack stepped over, Victoria now had a _giant_ lollipop in her hand. “Would you mind looking at my daughter?” He let out a sigh of relief, thank _god_ there was a doctor in this town. “A quick check up?”

“For the man that saved my store? Of course. Free of charge” Kimberly tapped the butt of her cigar until it burned out. “You can give these to your friends” She pushed the box of the remaining five cigars in Trini’s direction. “As a thank you” Jason would be _delighted._ “Alpha, I’m going to go upstairs. Do you mind watching over the store?”

“Yes ma’am of course!”

Kimberly sighed, lowering her voice, “He means well, but he’s a bit of a buffoon” She led the likes of Trini, Zack and Victoria to the upstairs of the general store. There she had a couple of beds set up, one in particular had been occupied by a sleeping man. Kimberly went over to him to check a couple of things, “Sheriff Zordon” She introduced the grizzled man, “He’s recovering from a bullet wound” Trini and Zack exchanged a glance, the only thing to protect this town were two deputies; one of which seemed to be incompetent. A further question of who shot the Sheriff to begin with rested in the back of Trini’s mind.

“My brother in law Thomas has stepped up in his absence” Kimberly brought over a stool, patting the top of it so Victoria could sit. “He’s taken on a lot of responsibility since David died” David Oliver. Her husband...Thomas’ brother. “Outside of _these_ two bandits, we’ve felt nothing but safe here in Thomas’ care” All it took was the likes of Zedd to hear that a town was unprotected to take advantage. “Now enough about me, what’s your story? You have an...interesting group of friends”

Interesting was a nicer word than _peculiar._ It was fair; it wasn’t often a confederate deserter, a former slave boy, a Mexican woman and Chinaman with a mixed child would ever be seen with one another; let alone be friends. Zack and Trini could tell that Kimberly wasn’t _entirely_ white herself, just light enough to _pass_ and become a doctor in a prestigious city like Boston.

“It’s a long story” Trini didn’t want to get into what they _did_ to make it by. Vigilante justice wasn’t entirely _praised._ A lot of people thought it caused more problems than solutions. Cept out here, Lawmen and the military weren’t always around. “We help people”

“Mm” Kimberly had a listening device so she could hear Victoria’s heart beating, “Well, I do enjoy a good mystery novel” She did a couple of extra tests on the small child, keeping her calm by distracting her with an observation, “That’s a pretty necklace”

Around Victoria’s neck she wore a copper locket, identical to the one Zack wore around his. A momento. The young child struggled to open the locket, so Trini had to do it for her, Victoria was excited to share the photo inside. “This is my momma” She smiled wide despite following it with sad news, “She’s not with us anymore but I carry this around so she’s always with me”

Trini could hear Zack take in a sharp breath next to her. His hand was over his mouth, even after all these years the topic of his wife cut him deep. "Don't you forget it kid" Trini spoke, so her best friend wouldn't have to. Victoria smiled wide, she was too damn pure for this world.

Kimberly leaned forward to take the locket in her hand, a black and white portrait of a blonde fair skinned woman. “She’s beautiful...be sure to keep that close to you” Having lost a husband she understood how to deal with grief, but this poor child...she never had the opportunity to _meet_ her mother. “I’m sure she’s watching over you right now”

She finished off her exam and came to the conclusion of, “She’s doing just fine, great even” For Victoria’s good behavior, Kimberly returned the little girl with the jumbo sized lollipop. “Go downstairs and you can pick out whatever taffys you want”

“Yesss” Victoria hopped off of the stool so she could rush down to claim her prize. Zack took a moment to tip his hat to the good doctor, adding a thank you as he had to make sure his daughter didn’t grab fistfulls of the candy downstairs.

Trini remained upstairs, she was naturally drawn to Kimberly’s presence. A beautiful, _smart,_ confident woman didn’t cross paths with her often; certainly not one that smoked a cigar, “So, what’s it like being a doc?”

Kimberly started to put her supplies away, “I’m sure you’ve come to notice men don’t like what a woman has to say. Even if I have the years of learning and a degree to back me up” She sighed, “I’m all too used to them coming to me as a last ditch effort and while I’d love to say _I’ve told you so..._ I put a smile on my face, stitch them up or what have you and send them on their way. Not all of them make it when they _wait_ that long to seek help from a _woman”_ She closed a drawer, “We live in a man’s world. I’m sure you know” Kimberly used her hand to motion up and down Trini’s clothes, “You dress like one”

“That’s not _why…”_ Trini frowned, why did other women _always_ go for the clothes and hat. “Can’t carry a gun very well in a dress like _that”_

Kimberly lowly chuckled, setting her foot upon one of the free beds, pulling up her dress just enough to show Trini the revolver saddled up in a holster against her leg. “Sure you can” _Wow._ Trini was left speechless, god, she was normally _so_ smooth around women but Dr. Oliver... _wow._ Trini’s jaw literally dropped at the sight. The good doctor stepped over to Trini, placing two fingers under her chin to close her mouth. “Do you have plans for the evening?” Trini dumbly shook her head no, she didn’t think she had plans, “I’d like to buy you a drink”

“Oh, the cigars were _more_ than enough to-” Why was she trying to be humble about this? Just say _yes_ when the beautiful doctor asks to spend more time.

“You literally held a gun to a man’s _cock_ for me, please, I _insist”_ Trini couldn’t say no, so she nodded her head, “Now come, let’s let Mr. Zordon here get some rest”

The two women returned downstairs to the general store. Billy and Jason were gentlemen to help clean up the blood on Mrs. Oliver’s floor as Mr. Alpha had gotten sick from nearing a dead man and had to vomit in a metal bucket outside. Zack had taken Victoria outside so they could eat candy together, she didn’t need to see _more_ aftermaths of death. Jason thanked Kimberly for the cigars and eventually the trio had to make leave.

Jason took stock in the situation, putting a cigar in his mouth, “Zack caught me up on the Lawmen situation here. Angel Grove here’s a sitting duck for a dirty man like Zedd to come ‘round” He offered one of the prized cigars to his best friend, but Billy shook his head no. “Let's face it. Deputy Alpha has no right ownin’ a _gun_ let alone _badge,_ and that Thomas Oliver’s too big for his britches. I vote we stay here until the rightful Sheriff is back on his feet, maybe a little longer if we don’t run into trouble”

“It’ll be nice to rest” Billy added, the group of five had spent the past couple of weeks roughing it. He wasn’t going to turn down a bath or a bed. “I second the vote”

Trini added a, “I vote we stay too, _someone’s_ gotta protect this town”

“And it has _nothin’_ to do with the good doctor?” Zack teased with a smile, popping a piece of taffy into his mouth.

“She’s really pretty” Victoria added, she spent _far_ too much time with her father that she picked up on some of his behaviors.

Jason rose his brows curiously, “We _don’t_ want to cause _trouble_ and we sure as hell don’t want someone on the _outside_ to catch wind that we’re here. Remember what happened in Silver Hills?” Trini frowned, her eyes narrowing at the distant memory, she had never come _so_ close to losing her life. “Keep your heads down. For now, we make Angel Grove our home”


	2. Who Shot the Sheriff?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was something about this here town that kept bothering the likes of Jason Scott. Angel Grove didn’t seem all too concerned that their sheriff had been shot. He takes matters into his own hands and sends out his men to do some digging, to try and find out who was responsible. Trini on the other hand was too preoccupied with worries of making a good impression on the local doctor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so so much for your feedback and support and showing interest in this little idea that could. I can't wait to continue building on this universe, I hope you enjoy!
> 
> WARNING: There iiiis a bit of racism in this chap. The 1800's sure were swell

There was something about this here town that kept bothering the likes of Jason Scott. Angel Grove didn’t seem all too concerned that their sheriff had been shot and in the care of Dr. Oliver. _Someone_ had to shoot him, and Jason reckoned it was a local crime, judging by the _lack_ of crime. See when a sheriff goes down, _that’s_ the time to strike. Outside of the robbery attempt at the General Store, this town seemed too peaceful. _Too quiet._ News hadn’t traveled far that the only people protecting this fine town was Deputy Thomas Oliver and his incompetent sidekick Deputy Alpha. It’d only be a matter of time. Jason decided to try and question the locals to see if they could piece together who had the motive to shoot the sheriff. He would stay back and question the owner of the inn, Billy would go to the stables, Zack the saloon and Trini...she could watch Victoria.

Jason met up with a Eugene Skullovitch in his office. The owner of the inn was awfully thin, with jet black hair and a smarmy look on his face. Right off the bat Jason didn’t trust him, there was somethin’ about the way he carried himself that he didn’t particularly take to. Like any fine businessman he offered Jason a small glass of bourbon to take the edge of the day off. “I hope you’re enjoying your stay” He set the glass in Jason’s hand, “There isn’t a _problem_ with any of the housekeepers is there?” Eugene gripped his glass of bourbon in his hand a little tighter, the man refusing to _sit_ to be at eye level with Jason.

Jason shook his head no, “The helps been nothin’ but delightful”

Eugene’s smirk only grew when he realized that he had something in common with Mr. Scott. “That accent...you ain’t from around these parts, are ya?”

“Grew up in Savannah” This wasn’t what Jason was here to discuss, but he knew he’d have to warm up the innkeeper in order to really get him talking. The bourbon certianly’d help make his tongue slick.

“I knew it! A fine upstanding confederate” Jason had to drink, he was _far_ from a confederate. Eugene enthusiastically rested a hand on his chest, “Birmingham” _Alabama._ “Shame how the war turned up. Lincoln is a _real_ piece of work. Abolishing slavery, what an idiot. Out of the kindness of my heart I brought three of my favorites with me to set up a new life.” He chuckled, “Cept now I gotta pay ‘em for what they used to do for free” He waved his hand, “They ain’t entirely smart, I don’t pay ‘em much. Just enough” He leaned forward, lowering his voice, “You’ve got one with ya, you know what I mean when I say they just ain’t _like_ us. Science says they’re closer to an _ape_ than a _person._ Lincoln didn’t do them any favors, it’s all a big shame”

Jason had to take another, _long_ sip of his drink. He dealt with this bigotry all his life and taking a drink was the only thing saving Eugene from him getting punched in the face for the words he was spouting off. Jason loved Savannah, but he refused to be lumped into that group that would demean another human being based on their skin tone. The three housekeepers that worked here, Aisha, Tanya and Katie...they didn’t deserve an employer like Eugene Skullovitch. “Your _housekeepers_ ain’t your _slaves.”_

Eugene laughed, as if what Jason implied was a _joke._ “I like you Mr. Scott” _That_ made Jason’s skin crawl, “If you wanna borrow one to... _satisfy_ your needs...you’re more than welcome to call one of ‘em to yer room” He winked. Jason _didn’t_ like what he was implying. “Just say the word”

Jason had to take another sip of his drink, finishing it off. He didn’t want to think of the horrors that these women had to face back in Birmingham...back when they were _property_ and couldn’t say no. Oh Jason _hated_ this man. “I wanted to talk to you about Sheriff Zordon” He didn’t have it in his heart to discuss the matters of Eugene’s housekeepers.

“Oh” A pause, “Well, he’s been shot” Yes. That was information Jason already knew. Idiot.

“Yes, ah, I was hoping to get more details to _how_ something like that could’ve happened.” Jason’s fingertips tapped his empty glass, “A _lawman_ wouldn’t shoot himself in the chest on accident”

The weasel of a man laughed, ugh, Jason did not have enough liquor in his system for this. “No, no, I suppose you’re right” He rubbed his chin, “I reckon someone shot him, if you met him you’d understand. He wasn’t exactly well liked by the public” Eugene paused, “I don’t know what happened, but Thomas was the one to carry him in from the fields. He rushed Zordon to the good doc’ right away. If you wanna know what _I_ think. It was probably a _Savage_ who don’t know a damn thing about holdin’ a gun” The fields. Jason sure hoped that Billy would have better luck talking with the owner of the stables. Eugene had been an absolute bust of information. If anything Jason now despised the man.

There was a gentle knock on the door, and when Eugene gave the okay, one of the housekeepers came in. Jason made it a point to learn their names, this one here was Aisha...the _quiet_ one. He would spot her in the halls and most importantly in the kitchen. That woman makes a damn good chicken. Tanya and Katie were responsible for the _cleaning_ aspects of the job. Dusting, laundry, changing out the bedding. “I could come back if I’m interrupting”

Jason got to his feet and took his hat off, it was only proper respect when a lady entered the room. It didn’t matter the color. Not to him. “I should actually get going, but do you mind giving us one more moment? I’m sorry but this is a conversation for men and I don’t want your delicate ears to hear somethin’ you shouldn’t”

“Of course, sir” Aisha nodded her head and backed out of the room, closing the door to give her employer and his guest a little more privacy.

That was all Jason needed. Now that he was on his feet he grabbed Eugene by his tie to pull him in close. Jason’s voice was dangerously low when he spoke, “I get word you disrespect your help and I will personally kick your sorry ass.” Eugene watched him with wide eyes, stunned to hear a fellow southerner _threaten_ him over these women.

“How I treat _my_ employees is none of your business, you have no right to-”

Jason brought his hand up to lightly slap Eugene’s face, “I don’t care.” He returned his hat to his head and made his departure, “Have a nice day Mr. Skullovitch” As he passed Aisha in the hallway he tipped his hat to her. He always made good on his promises...and beating the hell out of a man like Eugene, well, that felt like a bonus.

*****

Billy had been tasked with speaking to a Rocky DeSantos about the sheriff shooting. Rocky lived a bit aways from the main town, his work and livelihood depended on taking care of the horses. In order to take care of multiple steeds, he needed the space so the horses wouldn’t always feel cooped up in a stable. An open field away from town...the perfect place to shoot someone with little to no witnesses.

“You sure have beautiful horses” Rocky commented, he had one of his own personal horses tied up to the spokes of a fence. Billy had caught the man during one of his routinely grooming sessions. Rocky started off by picking at the horse’s hooves with the intention of cleaning out all the dirt, debris and rocks.

“Ah thank you sir” Billy took a lot of pride in grooming the groups horses. Sometimes when he felt anxious out in the wild, he enjoyed brushing out the horses to calm him down. Jason had to put his first horse down when the poor thing was stabbed and left for dead by a man by the name of Zedd. He _meant_ to kill Jason’s horse but made a mistake. Billy swore that son of a bitch would pay for what he did. He loved that horse...it was one of the first things that he could say _belonged_ to him as a free man. “I take a lotta pride in ‘em”

The group traveled with four horses. Rex, a hickory brown horse with a black mane and a little patch of white on the nose. He was the horse Jason bought with the money he had stolen from his father years ago. Clark, the beautiful jet black horse, belonged to Zack, named after his beloved wife’s maiden name. Trini named her horse June after her mother. She claimed that the cream colored mare with the white mane was _just_ as stubborn as the woman who gave birth to her. June _never_ listened to Trini’s instructions and would constantly bring her owner to aggravation. Still, Trini could never sell this bitch of a horse...she had grown far too attached to her. Which left Azul, Billy’s horse, the name meant blue in Spanish. It was a word Trini had taught him, and something that had stuck with him. His horse’s coat wasn’t a solid color like the others. Azul’s primary color reminded Billy of a gingerbread house, complete with patches of white on his sides.

Rocky could tell how much horses, especially the likes of these four horses meant to Billy, “You wanna help me groom ‘em today?” He asked with a simple tilt of the head, “I don’t get company very often” A smile grew on his face, “Company in another human being that is”

“Sure” Billy wasn’t the _best_ at asking people questions, outside of his found family, he went out of his way _not_ to talk to people. For most of his life he put his head down, did what he was told and _avoided_ people in favor of working out on the plantation. When he was with Jason, Trini, Zack and Victoria he could talk a mile a minute, share his excitement about life around him or what interesting thing he discovered or thought of...with a stranger, he had to be on the defensive.

Rocky gathered up an extra set of supplies and brought them over to his guest. He carried a reassuring smile on his face when he patted Billy’s arm, a gesture that made Billy uncomfortable. “I wanna ask you ‘bout the shooting” Billy finally spit out the entire _reason_ he was here.

“Then ask” The other man shrugged his shoulders. He clacked his tongue to get the attention of one of his horses, “What’da’ya wanna know?”  
  
“Um” Billy swallowed, his mouth felt like a dried up well, “What happened?”

“Honestly? I didn’t see much” Rocky and Billy could both distract themselves by focusing more of their attention onto brushing out the horses. “The gunshot spooked the horses and I was spendin’ my time tryin’ to calm them down” He shrugged his shoulders, “Unfortunate accident”

_“Accident?”_

“Mmm” Rocky bit his bottom lip, thinking on how to answer the question, “Best place to practice shootin’ is out in the open. He took the deputies out to practice and... _bam_ Alpha ain’t got a clue to how to handle a gun. He’s the youngest of five boys” The rancher shook his head solemnly, “He’s the only one left. He means real well but he sure is jumpy. My best _guess_ was that Alpha did it. Thomas sure stepped up and got him to the doc” Rocky looked up to the sky, it was a sparklin’ blue kinda day, “I only pray that Zordon makes a recovery”

*****

Zack was tasked with hitting the local saloon. The _Lone Wolf._ A great name for a bar if he said so himself. He entered the _mostly_ empty establishment, a man don’t drink much during the day. If he _did,_ he sure had some personal demons to handle, or a rough day out in the wild. The bartender introduced himself to the new guy in town as Dillon. A tall, white man with dark brown shaggy hair and an off putting personality to earn that lone wolf title.

“If you’re not here to drink, then what do you want?” He asked, his voice low, irritated. A bartender such as himself must not get a lotta sleep. The _night_ is when he earns most of his keep after all.

“I wanna ask you a couple of questions” Zack sat himself down at the bar, his hands folded politely. “About the _real_ sheriff”

Dillion scoffed, he didn’t move from his work, he had tables to wipe down and his no good sister was still up stairs sleeping. As usual he had to do _everything,_ “What does a Chinaman wanna know ‘bout that?” He asked, pausing to stand straight up and look Zack in the eye, “This ain’t your town, you’re only passin’ through just like the others”

“I got a _daughter_ to watch out for” Zack’s jaw clenched, “I wanna know if this here town is safe for a little girl”

The bartender’s expression softened, he set down his rag and moved to stand behind the bar so he could talk to Zack man to man. “You want my honest opinion?” Zack of _course_ nodded his head yes. Dillon turned and grabbed one of his fine bottles of whiskey and poured _himself_ a glass. “No. This town ain’t safe.” He tapped a finger onto the wood of the bar to emphasize his point, “I think that no good Eugene Skullovitch was behind that shooting”

Zack had to pause, why did that name sound familiar? “The owner of the inn?”

Dillon nodded his head, “One in the same. He’s been building a _casino_ on the far end of town. Yeah, that’s what that buildin’ is gunna be. Son of a bitch. He gets cheap labor by usin’ former slaves, Mexicans…” He glanced Zack up and down before adding with a sigh, “Chinamen too. No, a casino is gonna bring in the worst kinda folk. Now I know I ain’t no rain of sunshine but house _gamblin’_ that’s gonna _attract_ trouble”

“Oh are you goin’ on about _Eugene Skullovitch_ again?” A dramatic sigh came from the stairs as Dillon’s sister had finally woken up to join them. She warmed up nicely to the sight of Mr. Taylor, she stood right beside him, resting a gentle hand on his knee. “He’s sweet on one of Eugene’s innkeepers”

 _“Tenaya_ shut your mouth” Dillon scolded, his eyes narrowing sharply at his sisters attempt to embarrass him. “I think he should treat ‘em better is all.”

Just as her brother was taking a sip of his drink, Tenaya chose that moment to lean forward and quietly tell Zack, “If you see Katie put in a good word for my brother will you?”

Dillon started to cough on his drink, goddamn sister couldn’t keep her goddamn trap shut. “Why don’t you leave this poor man alone? He’s got a wife n’kid” So he noticed that Zack _still_ wore his wedding right.

“Some of the best men I’ve slept with gots a wife n’kids” She raised her hands up in defense, chuckling lightly, “Alright, alright I’ll start sweepin’. Give you boys a chance to chit chat” Tenaya winked in Zack’s direction, “Stop by tonight”

“Uh...I’ll think about it…”

Tenaya seemed to accept that as an answer. The moment she turned her back to grab a broom and start properly sweeping up the place, Dillon leaned forward to state, “And this is why we’re never invited to fancy parties. I apologize on her behalf”

“That’s alright” Zack wanted to get back to the more _important_ part of this story, “So why would Eugene want Zordon _dead?”_

“Simple. Zordon didn’t _want_ the casino to go up in the first place. Those two’ve been squabbling for _weeks_ now. I reckon Eugene just wanted to take matters into his own hands” The bartender shrugged his shoulders, “Thomas Oliver don’t got a problem with gamblin’. He’s a poker player himself. With Zordon outta the way _Tommy-Boy_ steps up in his place” His eyes squinted, “Y’see where I’m goin’ with this?”

Zack rubbed his chin, Jason would most certainly want to hear _this_ side of the story.    

*****

While the _boys_ were out doing their little detective work, Trini had stayed back in the hotel to watch over Victoria. All the little girl wanted to do was go out and play but Trini needed to take this time to get herself ready for her nightcap with Dr. Oliver. Normally _Trini_ was the one that was _so_ smooth with the ladies, but damn, Kimberly must also practice some witchcraft to put Trini under a _spell._ Not tonight. Trini had the full intentions of trying to woo the good doctor.

Aisha and Tanya were ever so kind to get Trini a full length mirror so she could check out her reflection. She wore her finest pair of pants, a _clean_ white button down shirt with a tanned cowhide vest. To wear the hat to complete the look? Let her hair down? Set up a nice braid? Ah hell, Trini was damn nervous about her looks. Miss Kimberly didn’t have to put in so much damn effort to radiate beauty.

“Why don’t you wear a dress?” Victoria asked, laying on the bed, she rested her head on her chin. Watching Trini put on and off her vest and change her shirt three times was _so_ fun for a five year old girl.

“I _hate_ dresses” Trini answered simply, slowly putting her hat on her head to see if she liked _that_ look better.

“But you’re a lady” The small child suddenly jumped to her feet and did a little twirl to show off the pretty blue dress that her father purchased for her. “I love my dress, blue’s my _favorite_ color”

“I ain’t a lady” Trini laughed, turning to finally give the child some attention, _“Your_ dress is very pretty”

“Daddy said he’ll _make_ me a dress one day” Victoria jumped up, only to plop her behind down on the bed once more. “I want one just like my mommas, even if _her_ favorite color wasn’t blue. Didjaknow daddy can sew?”

“I _did”_ Trini remembered the early days of their ranger days, Zack told the group of his history in the tailoring business. Sewing was one of the things that reminded him of his late mother, and something he took a lot of pride in.

“...Maybe he can make _you_ a dress too” Victoria suggested with a tilt of her head. She _clearly_ did not approve of Trini’s choice of look to meet up with someone _special._ “What’s your favorite color?”

Trini humored the young girl by answering her question, “Yellow” She still wasn’t going to put on a dress. No ma’am.

The young girl’s face scrunched up in disapproval, she did _not_ like Trini’s choice, “What about pink?”

“Hell. No.” Trini didn’t have the _time_ to play around with Victoria’s nonsense. She wasn’t going to wear a dress, and she sure as hell wouldn’t ask _Zack_ to make her one. That’d be a damn waste of time. “Hey, I need your help with something. Y’think you could do me a _big_ favor?”

Victoria crossed her arms and tilted her head to the side, “What’s in it for me?” She asked, oh Trini was so proud. She learned how to look out for herself first, and out here, that was important. Never do anything blind.

“I’ll buy you a chocolate with caramel inside” Trini grinned, she knew that Victoria enjoyed the _‘gooey’_ stuff in the center. _That_ got the little girl’s attention. “I need you to go into Jason n’Billy’s room. Now in Jason’s bag there’s a little glass bottle that’s got yellowish brown on the inside. I want ya to get it to me”

“Deal” The little girl got out of bed and ran over to Trini, she watched the adults enough to know that every good deal was decided on a good ol’fashioned handshake. Within seconds the little girl ran off to complete her task.

Trini wanted to pull out all the stops tonight, and that included a little splash of Jason’s cologne. She had a _lady_ to impress after all.

*****

That night at the bar, Trini met up with Kimberly. The good doctor found them a table in the corner to give them a bit more privacy amongst the local men who came here after a long hard days work. Kimberly braided her long locks back, ah great, she wanted to show off more of that gorgeous face of hers. The two ordered drinks, Trini a whiskey while Kimberly preferred to drink a finer wine. The bartender also stated if _anyone_ gave them trouble not to hesitate to get him involved. Nice to see a barkeep with good intentions, but Trini _always_ carried a dagger and her trusty sidearm. She did not pity a dirty man with a wandering hand.

“I can’t thank you enough for what you did back at the store” Kimberly’s lips pulled into a smile, “You were so brave”

“Ah it was nothin’.” Trini didn’t want Kimberly to continue to feel like she _owed_ her _anything._ “That kinda thing happen here often?” If the _boys_ could question townsfolk, Trini damn well could too. Who better to gently interrogate than the local doctor?

Kimberly shook her head no, “Zordon’s always kept the town safe...Stone Canyon on the other hand…” She trailed off in favor of taking a sip of her drink. Stone Canyon had been the next town over, it’s reputation preceded itself to be a magnet for crime. “He’ll be back on his feet in no time”

Trini folded her hands, “Is there someone that’s out to get ‘im?”

“Now that’s an awfully forward question” Kimberly leaned back, her brow arched high, “Are you here to enjoy my company or interrogate me?”

Busted, “No, you’re right” She tilted her head, “What was it like going to medical school in a fancy town like Boston?” Better yet, she followed it up with a, “Why come out to these parts?”

Kimberly’s eyes sparkled with dangerous excitement when she answered with a simple, “I wanted _adventure_ in my life...I wanted _out_ of Boston as soon as possible” As someone who ran away from home, Trini knew that there was more to _that_ story. “Now it’s my turn to ask a question”

“Oh?” Trini leaned back, trying to appear aloof. A mysterious cowgirl and her band of men coming into town must’ve been the most exciting thing to happen since...well, the sheriff getting shot. “What do you want to know?”

“Where’re _you_ from?” Kimberly asked curiously, “All this talk of _my_ life and you can’t share anything about yourself?”

“Mm” Trini reached forward, her finger hooking the stem of Kimberly’s wine glass. “May I?” Kimberly nodded her head, giving Trini the permission to take her glass and drink from the other side of the cup. Giving it a good taste. “Ah, that’s what I thought. Californian wine” Trini pushed the glass back across the table, “Everyone knows the _best_ wine comes from _Mexico”_

“Is that so? That’s not what Dillon says and he’s an _expert”_

Trini scoffed out a laugh, “He’s a white man who repeats what he’s been told and passes it off as expert advice”

“So you’re from Mexico?” Kimberly _naturally_ had to ask a follow up question, “What brings you _here?”_

“Ah that’s two questions” Trini tutted, she wanted to avoid her own past of running away from her family-her wedding. It tended to bring down a conversation. “But yes, I grew up on a vineyard”

“Which one?” Kimberly asked, Trini tilting her head answered her question. She wasn’t going to talk. “Three questions, right” Kim licked her lips, “I’m impressed. You speak English quite well”

“I’ve had a good teacher” Trini spent the longest time with Jason and Billy before Zack had joined their group. Jason and Billy taught her English while she would teach them Spanish. Spanish sure as hell got them out of a bind, it gave them a line of communication that the common man didn’t _want_ to even learn. When she could, she would even teach Victoria a few choice phrases just so they could poke fun at her father. With Zack teaching his daughter Mandarin, Victoria was well on track to speak three languages.

Trini leaned forward, her confidence now growing now that they were having a nice repertoire, “My turn”

Kimberly rolled her shoulders back, relaxing in her spot, “Yes?”

“...Are you and Thomas…?” Kimberly’s laugh caught Trini off guard, so much so that she couldn’t even _finish_ her questioning. “What?”

“You want to know if _Tommy_ and I are going to be involved” She laughed mirthlessly into her glass, “You and the entire town. Well, Trini, let me set this _straight_ for you. Thomas is like my _brother,_ my rock, I could never be with him as a lover” Kimberly leaned forward, “My turn” She lowered her voice, “The men you travel with...are any of _them_ your lover?”

“Oh, Lord no….actually….”

“There you are” Jason _had_ to interrupt them at that exact moment. The man sat down at their table a large mug of beer in his hand. He chuckled, resting a hand on Trini’s back, “Hope you ladies don’t mind the company” Trini glared daggers to her friend, he simply tilted his head, the two clearly having a silent conversation just with their expressions.

Kimberly picked up that Jason needed a moment with his _friend_ so she stood, “I’m going to get another glass, say my hellos” She had an image to upkeep after all. She politely got up from the table, Jason tipped his hat to her, Trini smiled all the while until Kimberly turned her back away.

“I’m going to _stab_ you with this fork” Trini hissed, knowing that Jason interrupted their drinks on purpose. “What the _hell_ Jason?”

“I _know_ what you’re doin’. Victoria had my _cologne”_ Jason sighed, “You _can’t._ Not here, not after what happened...don’t be stupid. She’s a pretty woman, I get it, but she’s _never_ gonna be interested in what you want”

“You know you’re a real piece of work” Trini couldn’t bite her tongue, not when she was _this_ irritated. “We were just talkin’, no _gay_ activity here. Maybe I just wanted the company of an _intelligent_ woman...I’ve got self control”

Jason had to keep it vague, they were out in public after all, “I don’t wanna see you get hurt...not after last time…” He cared too much, last time she got too close to a woman she almost was _killed._

“Yeah, well, this time I ain’t posin’ as a man” Trini sighed, she didn’t want to _admit_ that Jason was right. She didn’t want to admit someone like her couldn’t have the life she wanted. Jason was a _good_ friend to her, the two would go to brothels together. It was the only way for Trini to really relieve any of her pent up frustrations...to feel the touch of a woman without facing any consequences. It wasn’t _ideal_ but it was _something._ “I like this one”

“I know…” Jason reached his hand over to start rubbing her back, “I’m sorry Trini…” Trini’s shoulders slumped, she didn’t want to _admit_ that he was right. Going after Kimberly Oliver would be a _bad_ idea...

The door to the saloon flung open with a huge bang, in came a flustered Billy, he went straight to his friends in the corner of the room; scaring the hells bells out of all the other patrons inside on the way. “The horses!” He waved his arm toward the door, “Somethin’ happened out there! The horses got spooked and jumped the fence...Rocky n’I couldn’t stop ‘em. We gotta go!”

“What?” Jason stood to his feet his eyes wide, “How in the hell did that happen? You were with them the whole day!” Trini was already scrambling to get to her feet, pulling dollar bills out of her wallet as quickly as possible to close her tab.

“There was a loud boom! _Dynamite”_ Billy’s elevated voice started to bring the attention of the other patrons in the bar. “Rocky’s already tracking them, we gotta help him!”

“Who in the hell would set off dynamite that close to an open ranch?” Trini hissed, heart racing a mile a minute just thinking about what could happen to her precious horse.

Kimberly came over, resting a hand on Trini’s shoulder to calm her down, “You guys go, I’ll tell your friend Zack. He’s staying at the inn, yes?” Trini nodded her head, “Be careful if you cross the creek, you’ll hit Native Territory. They don’t take kindly to trespassing”

“Thank you ma’am” Jason motioned for Billy to follow him out the door, there wasn’t any time to stand around and chit chat.

“...I owe you” Trini hoped that the good doctor would understand why their time was cut short.

“I’ll take you up on that when you return” Kimberly squeezed Trini’s arm gently, “Now _go”_

*****

That night wasn’t how Kimberly was _hoping_ it would’ve gone. The doctor found herself _excited_ to be spending the evening in the company of a sharp young woman. Someone who could hold a conversation with her. There was something alluring about Trini, a mysterious woman that Kimberly wanted to learn more about. She was even getting somewhere with her when an odd tragedy struck. She couldn’t help but wonder who would be stupid enough to scare the horses. Poor Rocky and the others would be out until morning trying to wrangle them back to Angel Grove.

Since she had a patient in her care, Kimberly spent her nights sleeping in her personal room at the general store. If something were to happen she would be right on site as opposed to the Oliver family cabin where she and Tommy _lived._ In relation to central Angel Grove, it was a good thirty minute ride on horseback. A quaint cabin off in the woods for a bit of privacy. She used to _love_ it there...but then her husband died, and quite honestly, she’d rather stay at the General Store than to go home and be constantly reminded of him.

Kimberly had been startled by the door opening, her natural reaction was to quick draw her gun. “Christ! Tommy!” Kimberly’s heart felt like it leapt out of her chest. She put the gun down when she realized that all was well, she was safe here in the company of her brother. “What on Earth are you doing here? You’re supposed to be home”

“I wanted to check up on you” The deputy stepped into the room, standing close to his mentors bed. “Make sure you’re okay” He glanced down to a sleeping Zordon, his chest rising and falling with every breath. “I see you’ve been spending time with some of the... _outsiders”_

“I owed Ms. Trini a drink for stopping those bandits” Kimberly frowned, not quite liking his tone, “You don’t like them.” It wasn’t a question.

“I don’t _trust_ them” Thomas emphasized the word _trust._ As a lawman it was his duty to put the people first, _he_ was the one to protect them and enforce the great laws of the United States. “They’re snoopin’ around, askin’ questions. I don’t like it. We don’t know _jack_ about them, what their agenda for comin’ here is.”

“Then perhaps we need to get to know them a bit better” Kimberly sighed, she understood why he was so ridgid. Alpha wasn’t much of a help when it came to _backup_ and the only mentor he had ever really known was currently recovering from a bullet wound. “For all we know they’re just passing through. A shame what happened out near the ranch, did you hear?”

“I did” Thomas sighed, his shoulders slumping, “I’m sure it was just a fluke…” 

“An odd thing to write off as a fluke, wouldn’t you say?” Kimberly tilted her head, “A citizen shouldn’t have the _access_ to dynamite.” Quite frankly she didn’t want to have to deal with the aftermath of someone mishandling the dangerous explosive. Once an arm was _gone_ it was _gone,_ there wasn’t any comin’ back from that.

“I’ll check on it in the morning” He promised, tilting his head to get a better look at Sheriff Zordon, “How’s he doin?”

Kimberly turned away from Tommy in favor of pulling out her hair out of it’s braid, “He’s going to make a full recovery” She couldn’t see Tommy’s expression fall in light of the good news. This _should_ be something to celebrate. “Now don’t stay here too late” She went over and kissed her brother in law’s cheek, “Lock up the front door when you leave...goodnight Tommy”

“Ah goodnight Kimberly” He smiled as best as he could until his sister vanished from sight. She would be in the room right next door, getting ready to get some shut eye.

Thomas silently cursed to himself, “Hell” Zordon was going to _make_ it out alive. He thought that the bullet to his chest would have done the trick, but now...now he would have to finish the job. Tommy covered up his dear mentors mouth, squeezing the man’s nose as tightly as he could to slowly suffocate the man. He saw too much, he _knew_ too much about Thomas that he couldn’t live to see another day. It was too risky. Thomas couldn’t risk _anyone_ in Angel Grove finding out his secret...he’d be _ruined._

Zordon’s eyes shot open, the man struggled to comprehend what was going on, his strength was already on borrowed time and he was lifeforce was fading fast. He tried pleading with Thomas. The deputy was a _good_ man, he wasn’t a stone cold killer. Zordon was the one to teach him everything he knew, how to quick draw a gun, what it took to handle a shotgun. He taught him the best places to stand in an all out shootout...the two shared late night drinks and mused about life. Zordon had _big_ plans for this town, big dreams for this city to grow. Angel Grove was his pride and joy. Zordon was like a _father_ to him, he was _there_ for him when David died. Thomas had to let go, he felt sick to his stomach, he couldn’t do it. Sheriff Zordon gasped for breath, air returning to his lungs, he would live another day. Thomas Oliver didn’t have the guts to kill a man who loved him like a son.  
  
_Dammit._ Now what was he gonna do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3 will start off RIGHT where Chapter 2 had ended. :D
> 
> Chapter 3 will also have a heavy amount of Single!Dad Zack


	3. School Yard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fate of Sheriff Zordon's life rests in the balance. Meanwhile, with Jason, Billy and Trini out in the wilderness. Zack and Kimberly are left in Angel Grove to their own devices. Kim wants to learn a little bit more of the newcomers and suggests that Victoria start to go to school...just like any other kid. Maybe Angel Grove could be a place to stay permanently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all of your support so far!! 
> 
> This one's a bit of a Zack focus :) 
> 
> Warning: This chapters also got a little racism too

Zordon could breathe, this could damn well be his only opportunity to try and reach his deputy before he’d _try_ something again. “Son, you don’t have to do this” He panted, he desperately could use some water. His throat dried up, his words scratchy due to being bedridden for days.

“I _do”_ Thomas loomed over him, his hand on Zordon’s shoulder to hold him to the bed, “I can’t let what you know get out...I _can’t”_

The sheriff shook his head, “I ain’t gonna tell nobody. It ain’t any of my business who you bed-”

“Don’t!” In a nervous panic, Thomas looked back toward Dr. Oliver’s room, as if she could hear Zordon’s whispered implications. “You saw _nothin’.”_

“Then why try to kill me? Son this is eatin’ you up inside” He wanted to reach out for his deputy, his partner, the one who was _supposed_ to be out watching his back. “We can talk about this” Zordon sighed, “Or not if you wanna keep bein’ stubborn about it. I won’t say a damn word to anyone”

Thomas brought a shaky hand to his face, he couldn’t _believe_ that he would become this person. Even if Zordon was recovering he still looked so fragile in bed. “I’m so sorry...I didn’t mean…” He had to sit down on a stool, hunching over, “When you saw us, _together,_ I panicked...I _reacted.”_ Thomas swallowed, with Zordon _knowing_ his secret he didn’t _have_ to hold back. Zordon deserved an explanation to _why._ “...And then you survived. I-I wanted to end it there” He wanted to end it _here,_ “Rocky didn’t have it in his heart, he urged me to take you to Kim”

“He’s a good man.”

The deputy nodded his head, his eyes welling up with tears, “He is” He had to take in one ugly sniff, “And now _strangers_ are questioning the locals who done it…I had to get rid of ‘em somehow” Thomas admitted, “I spooked their horses, but I don’t think that’s gonna be enough”

Zordon tried to sit up, leaning on his elbows so he could try and face his deputy like a man, “The only one who can clear the air on who shot me is _me.”_

“What’re you gonna tell the press?” Thomas didn’t _want_ to face jail time. He couldn’t leave Kimberly alone, not after his own brother’s death. Outside of him, she didn’t have no one.

“Altercation with a savage” Zordon bit his lip, he didn’t particularly _like_ blaming the native tribe to the north of their town but it was an easy out for the white men. “We’ll leave it at that, and _boy,_ you try and kill me again and _I_ will personally end you. Y’hear?”

For once this night a smile returned to Thomas’ features, maybe _one_ person knowing his secret wouldn’t hurt… “I am forever in your debt sir”

“Just. Tell me one thing” Zordon wanted to hear an honest answer from his deputy, “Do y’love ‘em?”

To which Thomas nodded his head. Yes. The deputy was in love with the ranch hand. “I do” So much so that it was worth trying to kill for. “You can’t tell _anyone._ Not even _Kimberly”_

“You’ve got my word”

*****

Kimberly was surprised to hear that Rocky and the others hadn’t returned from the night before. The horses were all still at large. She didn’t want to think the worst, she had to remain positive. A lot could happen out in the wild and she was sure Trini and her male companions had good heads on their shoulders to make it through this far. An odd bunch. Kimberly didn’t get answers she was looking for so in order to learn more about this little group she invited the only remaining members of their group out for breakfast. The kind Chinaman and his beloved daughter.

“Thank you Aisha, this looks amazing” Kimberly complimented the woman, it was far easier to simply do breakfast at the inn. Everyone in town knew this was the best damn place to get a filling meal. Eggs n’ham served as a nice hearty way to start the morning.

Zack leaned down to gently speak to his daughter, “What do you say to the nice lady?”

With a big ol’toothy grin Victoria responded with a, “Yer pretty, I like yer hair” Outside of Billy she didn’t see many Africans...certainly not many women.

Her father’s cheeks reddened, embarrassed, he brought a hand to his forehead, “The _other_ thing”

“Oh” Victoria backtracked, “Thank you for fixin’ up breakfast”

“Anytime sweetheart” Aisha’s smile was nothing but kind and gentle, “I hope you all enjoy”

When Aisha returned to the kitchen, Zack pulled out a small glass vile from the inside of his coat. He topped off his eggs with the red sauce and offered it to Victoria to put it over hers. “Would you like some? To give it a bit of a kick?”

“What _is_ it?” Kimberly asked, reaching her hand out to inspect the bottle.

“Ah some seasonin’. We’re used to Trini’s cookin’ and that woman loves her spices” Victoria bobbed her head up and down, “It’s pretty good if you can handle the heat”

“I’ll try it” It couldn’t hurt, besides, trying it would allow Kimberly an insight into Trini’s life. No matter how small. “So, if you don’t mind me asking. What is it that you all do? Why travel so much?”

“Ah” Zack didn’t know how to answer that question properly, “Haven’t found a place to settle down and call home. Sometimes it’s safer for people like us keep on movin’ to the next place”

“What about Victoria?” Kimberly asked, looking down to the young child, “Don’t you want her to have an education?” As someone who went to a _university_ she understood the power of knowledge, “Has she ever _gone_ to school?”

“My daughter knows how to speak in three languages ma’am, she can add n’subtract. We’re making sure she learns lessons.” Zack and the others were the ones responsible for her upbringing. The four of ‘em had their strengths that they would pass down to his daughter, especially out in the wild. She knew what she could and couldn’t eat, how to hide, other basic survival tips, and boy howdy did this girl know how to swim. “We get by just fine with how we do it”

“I understand” Kimberly honestly say she was impressed by the young child to retain multiple languages. Though she supposed the best time to teach ‘em was when they were small. “But does she ever get the opportunity to be around _other_ children?”

“No...she doesn’t…” Zack’s eyes betrayed him, the question in itself hurt. Was he robbing his daughter of a childhood by being a vigilante?

“I’m sorry, that wasn’t my place. Forgive me” Kimberly didn’t want to offend the man, she simply wanted to learn more about the group. “How did you become friends with Trini?”

“She was already with Jason n’Billy when we started to tag along” Zack followed up with an even more important question, “Why ask about _just_ Trini?”

“Cause she’s pretty” Victoria chimed in. Kimberly bit her lip, the five year old _wasn’t wrong._

Kimberly needed to recover, “I, ah, find it interesting that a woman is traveling with _three_ men and isn’t married to _any_ of them” Judging by their complexions they certainly weren’t her _brothers_ in a biblical sense either. There was _so_ much about Trini and her friends that interested Kimberly, they carried themselves with an air of mystery. Who were these people? “She fascinates me”

“She fancies you too” Victoria put a big forkful of eggs into her mouth.

“...Ah that’s not what she said” Zack’s eyes went wide, he looked from his daughter to Dr. Oliver and quickly added a, “She doesn’t get many opportunities to talk to other women her age”

“Mm?” Kimberly’s brow arched, children are _much_ more observant of a person. Did Trini _fancy_ her? Now what a curious thing to say. “Well, let’s say she’s a bit of fresh air in my life. I value our conversations” She sighed, “Ever since I lost my husband, it’s like women walk on eggshells around me”

Zack understood the feeling completely, only he was saddled with a baby to raise, “It’s because they don’t know _what_ to say, when they do they give you that look” Kimberly knew it well, pity.

“When I’m around Trini I don’t _feel_ like a widow” Kimberly sighed, “It’s odd, I’ve only known her for a few days” She didn’t know why she was even telling _Zack_ these things. “It’s selfish, but I’m starting to feel like myself again”

“Ah well” Zack truly meant it when he said, “If you need to talk about someone who understands…” He sighed heavily, even after five years Amanda still had a hold on his heart. “I’m around”

Kimberly set her fork down, “The same goes for you” Trini, Billy, Jason...as far as Kimberly understood the other three never experienced what it was like to be _married_ and then on top of it to have that significant other ripped away from them.

Their tender moment was broken when Thomas Oliver entered the inn, he spotted his sister talking with the Chinaman and decided to sit himself down next to Kimberly. “Mornin’.” He took Kimberly’s fork to try and steal a piece of egg from her plate, only for his hand to be slapped.

“Get your own”

“Just a little taste” Thomas sighed, “I’ve had a long night and I’m hungry” He smiled long enough for Kimberly to roll her eyes and allow him half of her ham.

“You owe me a cinnamon pastry” Kimberly lowly threatened. Never mess with a woman and her breakfast.

Victoria’s eyes went as wide as the damn moon at the sound of a cinnamon pastry, “Daddy can I have one too?”

“You have to finish what’s on your plate first” Zack had to put his hands on his daughter’s shoulders when she started to shovel in food as quickly as possible. _“Slowly,_ you’re gonna choke if you eat it like that” Victoria pouted but went along for it, only for a chance to satisfy her sweet tooth.

“Where’s the rest of your friends?” Thomas asked curiously, his mouth full of eggs, “Why aren’t they eating with you?”

Kimberly rested a hand on Thomas’ arm to gently break the news that, “They haven’t returned from last night”

Thomas dropped Kimberly’s fork on the ground, his heart felt like it fell down into his stomach. It was _his_ fault that they were out there and if something happened...if something happened to _Rocky_ that would be on _his_ head. “I gotta go after them, see what’s goin’ on.” Thomas still had _his_ horse, he could make up for lost time with ease.

“You really want to leave the town in _Alpha’s_ care?” Kimberly bit her lip, she truly had no faith in the skills of the other deputy.

Thomas’ eyes traveled to Zack, a strapping young man...strong...he clearly had a good shot if as he stopped the robbers. It would only be for a couple of hours. As much as he didn’t _like_ or _trust_ these travelers he’d rather have an outsider watch over his town than a corrupted seed within the city. Eugene Skullovitch? Dillon the barkeep? No. He didn’t have many good options. “I’ll only be gone for a couple of hours”

“I’ll make sure Alpha doesn’t shoot his eye out” Zack could ease the deputy’s mind. “Don’t you worry ‘bout a thing” This wasn’t the _first_ time Zack and the gang have been asked to watch after a town.

*****

Dr. Oliver had gone back to her practice in order to check up on her patient. Sheriff Zordon’s recovery was looking more promising. Good news for _almost_ everyone here in Angel Grove. Thomas would bring Rocky and the others back, Zack was sure of it. All he had to do was...simply wait. Easier said than done. Zack walked along the main street of the town, he needed to be extra cautious of the happenin’s around him. Victoria sat on his shoulders with his black hat on her head.

“I wanna go to school” She said out of the blue. So Kimberly’s words affected her, “Sounds fun”

Zack bit his lip, he didn’t want to deprive his daughter of anything she wanted but...was she really ready for a step like this? Victoria was _old_ enough to attend class but she didn’t have many opportunities to interact with other kids. To _be_ a kid. “Yeah, kiddo?” He _should_ encourage this, to be a good father and get her to follow her natural curiosity. At a school she’d be supervised by an adult…

“How come I’ve never gone?”

“You weren’t big and strong enough” In reality it was their continuously migrant life. New cities, new towns, new criminals to take down and steal from. Was it really a life he wanted to bring a child up in? She never had a _friend_ her own age before...Jason, Trini and Billy would do just fine without them...they were together long before Zack joined them. Maybe it was time to start _thinking_ about settling down. Could Angel Grove really be a good home for him and his daughter?

Zack decided to take his daughter up a small hill where the school building stood. He had to interrupt the pretty blonde lady teaching the class in order to ask if Victoria could join the short while they were in town. Ms. Hillard was so kind to allow Victoria to take a seat, she would be just fine under her watch. Zack prayed that it was true. He didn’t want to admit it, but his daughter was growing up...faster than he could imagine. Hearing the words _“Bye daddy!”_ hurt more than he expected. With Victoria off of his back, he could step up and watch the town better in Thomas’ absence.

For Victoria, coming to school felt pretty daunting. She had never seen so many kids that were her size in the same place. Victoria spotted a young girl around her age, one in a yellow dress and dark hair that reminded her of her aunt Trini. Naturally she gravitated towards her. When Ms. Hillard gave them all a chance to work out their arithmetic problems Victoria wanted to introduce herself to a potential new friend. “Hi, I’m Victoria”

“Elizabeth” She spoke with a hint of an accent, one Victoria noticed in Trini’s speech from time to time. Did she know Spanish too? That would be so swell, “Elizabeth Delgado” She nodded her head in the direction of a smaller boy with a more tan complexion, the two were the only kids of color in the class. “That there’s my brother Daniel” She watched Ms. Hillard to see if she was paying attention to her, when she noticed that the coast was clear she kicked the back of the boys chair. “Say _hello”_

Daniel turned in his chair, upon seeing Victoria's annoyed expression vanished, “H-hi”

“He ain’t dumb, he’s just shy” Elizabeth explained, “S’nice to meet you Victoria” When Ms. Hillard glanced up in their direction, Daniel had to quickly turn back in his seat. The two girls put their heads down to continue their work. They could talk more during their outdoor recess time.

Victoria _liked_ school, she would bring up her math problems to Ms. Hillard and the nice lady would tell her that she did a good job. She had gotten all of her adding and subtracting done right. Uncle Jason and her Daddy taught them well. Ms. Hillard would read to the class out of a story book. Victoria could listen to the blonde speak all day, she had one of those fancy proper accents from overseas. Then the kids would have to write down what the story was about and their favorite parts so they could practice their penmanship and test their memory. Victoria’s handwriting was absolutely atrocious...it’d take some getting used to.

When outdoors time was finally allowed it gave the chance for the kids to run and play on the hill. As much as Victoria liked the idea of learning it was a _lot_ for her to take in one day. She stuck close to Elizabeth, surprising her with a couple of phrases of Spanish. Victoria loved having a secret language with her Aunt and Uncles, that it was fun to share it with someone else. There weren’t many _girls_ in the class, most of the kids were young boys and they all stuck together. What Victoria _didn’t_ like were that two boys in particular were pushing around Daniel. That wasn’t okay. Ms. Hillard was too busy with Justin Stewart, the young boy fell and scraped his knee, she was too busy fixing him up to see what was going on with her other students.

“Ah not again” Elizabeth sighed, her brother was too small to stand up for himself.

Well, that little boy was in luck because like her family Victoria was gonna protect the innocent from big bullies. Literally. Colt Wallace, the ginger haired boy had his fist rubbing in the palm of his hand to try and add on some extra intimidation. The other, Jarrod Skinner a kid with brown shaggy hair and a penchant for lions had shoved Daniel to the ground and _laughed_ about it. “We wanna play cowboys” He sneered, “So you gotta be the savage”

“I don’t wanna play!” Just because he was _darker_ than the rest of the class meant he was an easy target to be put into the ‘savage’ role for play time. He didn’t like it. Not one bit. “Get Freddy to play he’ll be your savages”

“Leave him alone!” Victoria put her body between Jarrod and Daniel. Elizabeth was quick to rush to her brother’s aid, helping him to his feet. “He said he didn’t wanna play”

“Oh ho ho” Jarrod didn’t _care_ if Victoria was a _lady,_ “I don’t gotta listen to _you”_ He laughed, bringing his thumb and his finger to his eyes to make them appear wider... _rounder._ “Can you even _see?”_ He wasn’t just making fun of Victoria, he was making fun of her _father._ “Dumb chink”

For _that_ she did _exactly_ what her aunt Trini would do. Victoria reeled her tiny fist back and punched Jarrod square in the nose. His buddy Colt didn’t know what to do so he shoved Victoria back, standing up for his friend and making her fall back into the dirt.

“Jarrod! Colt! See me NOW” Ms. Hillard stood at the top of the hill a stern look in her eye, she was _not_ playing around. These boys were in _trouble_ with a capital T for shoving a girl to the ground. She motioned with her fingers for the boys to pick themselves up and come up the hill. If they didn’t _hurry_ they would only upset her more.

“Are you okay?” Elizabeth asked gently to Victoria, picking her off the ground and helping her dust off her pretty blue dress. “Ey” She slapped Daniel’s shoulder, motioning to Victoria with a tilt of her head.

Daniel looked down to the ground bashfully, “...Thank you”

“That’s what the good guy does” It was something she learned from Uncle Jason.

When Zack stopped by the school at the end of the afternoon to pick his daughter up, he was asked to stay by Ms. Katherine Hillard. The man sat down at one of the smaller desks, Victoria sitting in the seat next to him. He only assumed that it was to give him a progress report, he asked, “How did she do?”

“Her arithmetic is excellent for a girl her age...her _handwriting_ could use a bit of work but she’s young. She’s a really bright girl” Ms. Hillard turned her head in Victoria’s direction, “You did really good today sweetie... _you’re_ not the one who’s in trouble”

“There was trouble?” Zack asked, hesitancy lacing his tone. Oh no. Who did his daughter try to steal from? “What happened?”

“I’ll tell ya what happened!” Victoria exclaimed, “Jarrod and Colt were being mean to Daniel...they were shovin’ him to the ground and tryin’ to make him play. He didn’t wanna play so I tried to stop ‘em” Her tiny fists balled as she recalled that afternoon’s event, “Jarrod made fun of me...called me a stupid _chink_ so I punched him in the face”

“Oh” Zack wasn’t sure _how_ to react. To congratulate his daughter for punching a bigot in the face or scolding her for _punching someone in the face._ It wasn’t like she had the _best_ example in adult behavior to go by.

“I want to apologize” Ms. Hillard rested a hand on her own chest, “When I heard what they said I was appalled. Please know that I punished them accordingly”

“I don’t blame you…”

“She made _Jarrod_ cry!” Victoria was _far_ too excited about proper justice being served.

“It’s a shame...some of these kids don’t have a chance. These _attitudes_ they’re not _born_ with them. They’re taught. Those boys fathers...ah...they’re pieces of work” Katherine held the bridge of her nose, “I’m trying to do whatever I can to steer them in the right direction they’re just…it’s frustrating”

“I understand” Zack put his hand up, he knew these types of people _well._ He grew up in California, he was apart of building the railroad, his own father in law hated him because he wasn’t perfectly suited for his daughter. His entire life he’d face ignorance like this, he hated that Victoria would have to carry the same burden on her shoulders. Even at five years old…

“I do hope you’ll come back for tomorrow’s lesson”

Victoria looked to her father with hope in her eyes, “Can I daddy?” She _wanted_ to return after all of that? “I made a friend today” Victoria having someone to call a _friend_ warmed Zack’s heart. He _couldn’t_ say no to that...even if it would make the eventual departure from Angel Grove much harder.

“Of course” Zack stood up and reached his hand out for Victoria to take, “I’ll see you first thing in the mornin’ ma’am”

On their way home, Zack would ask Victoria questions about how she felt about school. _Without_ the company of Ms. Hillard his daughter could be completely honest. Not much changed, she _loved_ going to school and learning. She gushed about Ms. Hillard’s voice and little details about her new friend Elizabeth and her younger brother Daniel. She was _excited_ to share her day with Zack until suddenly she stopped. Victoria thoughtfully rested a hand to her chest where her locket sat. “Is this really my mom?” She asked, putting a halt to their walk home.

Zack instantly turned and placed one knee on the ground, patting a propped leg so Victoria would have a makeshift place to sit. “Of course that’s your mother”

“But I don’t _look_ like her” Victoria opened up the locket to view the portrait of Amanda. “She doesn’t _look_ like me. Her eyes...her hair...her skin. Even if I told those dumb boys she was my mama they won’t believe me” Victoria looked her dad in the eye, “So I think you’re lyin’ to me”

Oh. Zack felt his heart break when she accused him of lying about his bride, the love of his life. “I’m not” He shook his head, bringing a hand to rest on hers, on the locket. The _only_ piece of his dear Amanda that he had left. “Baby you look like _me,_ but this _is_ your mother. Here” He moved to open his own locket, tapping the picture to show her, “This smile? That’s _your_ smile. Your mama could light up a room with that smile...and when she looked _my_ way...I was the luckiest man in the world” Cause despite her father’s wishes, she _chose_ Zack, she _chose_ to be with him against all odds. “She passed that on to you kiddo, so please, never stop smilin’ okay?”

Victoria bit her lip, slowly nodding her head, she was still upset by the whole ordeal. Her skin wasn’t thick like her Aunt Trini’s.

Zack kissed the side of his baby girl’s head, “You may have my hair, my eyes, my skin...but inside...you’re _all_ you’re mama”

The little girl swallowed, anything to keep her from crying, “Mama stole stuff too?”

The question made her father chuckle, “Ah, nope, your mama was an angel. You got _that_ from me...your _sweet tooth_ on the other hand...ooh that’s all her” He threaded his hand through his daughter’s hair, “She would’ve loved baking with you” Cookies, cakes, his home would’ve been filled with the sweet scents of desserts.

“Can _we_ bake tonight?” Victoria asked hopefully, to have a chance to do something her mother would’ve loved.

“How ‘bout this? We go back to the inn and Mr. Skullovitch if we could borrow his kitchen. Ms. Aisha can help us” Zack laughed, “Because I ain’t a good baker”  
  
Victoria paused, “Can we ask Aunt Trini?”

Zack had to deliver some determinantal news, he wasn’t going to beat around the bush with this one. “Aunt Trini and your Uncles haven’t come back yet”

“But...but it’s been all day….where are they?”

*****

Trini awoke with a jerk, confused found that her arms were restrained and her head was _pounding_ in pain. What? ...What happened? Her eyesight was returning to her. She found herself seated at the base of a tree tied to it with rope. Right. They were ambushed in the middle of the night, ah _hells bells._ Trini looked to her right to see Billy’s head hanging low, he was still knocked out, to her other side Jason was awake...no sign of Rocky, he could’ve been on the back end of the tree for all she knew. “Jason?”

“Oh, mornin’ sunshine”

“It ain’t morning” The sun wasn’t in it’s rightful place if this here be the morning. No. They were out for some time, “What the hell’re we gonna do?”

Trini could hear Jason’s mirthless laugh, “...I’m workin’ on it…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter'll be more on Trini, Jason and Billy
> 
> It'll probably be a bit to update this one. I've got a couple of other projects that need to be updated first

**Author's Note:**

> Some Ranger Notes:
> 
> Victoria, Zack's daughter is in reference to Tori Hanson of Power Rangers Ninja Storm.  
> David "Oliver" is actually in the show as David Trueheart. He is Tommy's long lost brother
> 
> Please give me your thoughts and feedback, I want to know if this universe is something people would be interested in seeing more of.
> 
> <3 Thank you so much!


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